Corset.



H. W. GILBERT al E. M. MARTIN.

CORSET. APPLICATION FILED MAY Z, 1908.

Patented May 3.1910.

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H. W. GILBERT & E. M. MARTIN.

CORSET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY2,1908.

Patented May 3, 1910.

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H. W. GILBERT L B. M. MARTIN.

OORSBT. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAY 2,1906.

956,957. Patented May 3, 1910.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. GILBERT AND EVA MAYNARD MARTIN, 0F IVIEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO THE SPIRELLA COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR-PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CORSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed May 2, 1908. Serial No. 430,497.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that we, HENRY NV. Glenmuir and Eva MAYNARD MARTIN, citizensof the United States, and residents of Meadville, in the county ofCrawford, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Corsets, of which the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a novel construction of a corset designed toafford great convenience to the wearer of the corset and permit amplephysical exercise essential to promote the health of the person and alsoproduce dress-improvement of the person.

Figure l is a detached plan View of a corset embodying our invention;Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line -X-X- in Fig. l;Fio. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary face view of one of the corsetsectionsshowing one of the forms of the variously curved wirestays adapted to'be used in our improved corset; and, Figs. 4 and 5 show the corsetapplied to a person and illustrating the effects of the corset.

'lhe fabric body of the corset is composed of a back-section A-w and twofront sections W13-Bw. The back section -A is formed with sideextensions A1-Akand the front sections B-B are extended to the said sideextensions and are adjustably connected thereto by means of elasticlacings -a which pass through eyelets -ZJ- between the hemmed edges-cand stays disposed in pockets c1- formed in the fabric body.

The front edges of the front portions -B-B- are each provided with twoparallel hems as shown at fl-cland one of said sections is provided withbuttoin holes -ebetween the two hems. The front edge of the othersection -B- is provided with a corset-stay disposed in a pocket lattersection has a series of tape loops -flattached to the hem clfarthestfrom the edge of the said section, and to these loops are attachedbuttons f2-f2- adapted to pass through the button-holes -e in theoperation of donning and removing the corset onto and from the person.The stay in the pocket -fimparts the desired vertical stiffness to thatportion of the corset, while the button-carrying loops flattached to thefabric body separate from the aforesaid stay, all'ords an elasticconnection of the two front sections M13-BM. To further increase thecircumferential elasticity of the corsetwe employ corset stays composedof spring wire -1- curved successively into a series of loops Q- whichare disposed transversely in relation to the pockets --3- into whichsaid stays are inserted. These pockets extend curvilinearly from the topto the bottom of the corset and the said wire-stays readily conform tothe said curvilinear arrangement of the pockets and permit universalflexure of the corset without causing wrinkling of the fabric-bodythereof.

vWe do not limit ourselves to any specific form of the curved wire 1--as this feature admits of many modifications. The essential feature ofthe said wire stay is in its ability of beingl flexed in any directionwithout danger of being broken.

The top edge of the said corset is formed with increased downwardcurvature as shown at -twat the underarm portions of the corset for thepurpose of rendering the corset convenient to the wearer when practicingathletic exercises.

tldenote shoulder straps which are tapered from their permanentattaching ends partway toward the free ends thereof. Said attaching endsare formed with wide transverse edges which are sewed to the top edge ofthe back section A, from whence the said straps extend across theadjacent shoulders of the wearer as shown in Figs. l and 5 of thedrawings and are pinned or otherwise adjustably connected to the topportions of the front sections -B-B-- Said shoulder straps are curvedlongitudinally and the attachment of the wide ends thereof to the topedge of the back sect-ion udi* causes them to be maintained' flat,comfortable, and secure on the shoulders of the wearer.

-t-zfrepresent buttons for attaching the waist-band of a garment. Thesebuttons are attached to tape loops nfattached to the fabric bodyadjacent to the stay-pockets n3. Saidbuttons are thus securely retainedon the corset and conveniently manipulated in connecting the aforesaidwaistband to the corset.

Vhat we claim as our invention is:

A corset consisting of a fabric body composed of a back section and twofront sections, and having its top edges formed with increased downwardcurvatures at the underarin portions, the said back section formed withside extensions, the rear edge portions of the front sections andadjacent edge portions of the extensions being hemined and forinedthereat with pockets, stays consisting of looped wire disposed in thepockets, eyelets fastened to the said front sections and extensions andarranged between the heinined edges and stays, elastic lacings passingthrough the eyelets for adjustably and yieldingly connecting said frontsections and extensions, the front edges of the front sections eachprovided with two parallel henis and one of the said front sec tionsprovided with button-holes between the two heins, the front edge of theother front sections provided with a pocket between its two henis, awire stay disposed in said pocket, a'series of tape loops attached tothe latter section at the hein farthest froin the edge thereof, buttonssecured to said loops and arranged correspondingly with the aforesaidbutton-holes, shoulder-straps sewed to the top edge of the back section,said straps heilig tapered froin their permanently attached ends partwaytoward their free ends and curved longitudinally and formed with widetransverse att-aching edges to inaintain thein flat and secure on theshoul ders of the wearer, the free ends of the straps being detachablyand adjustably conA nected to the top portions of the aforesaid frontsections, and waist-band attaching means consisting of a series of tapeloops fastened to the corset body adjacent to the stayepoclets andprovided with buttons as set forth and shown.

HENRY W. GILBERT. [a s.] EVA MAYNARD MARTIN. [n s.] Witnesses 7. XV.KINCAID, J. H. PARDEE.

